1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition of matter suitable for use as a paint remover. The composition is ideally suited to remove wet latex paint from a paintbrush by neutralizing the paint molecules and causing the colloidal paint molecules to come out of suspension by the process of flocculation.
Paint is a composition that can be converted to a solid film after application to a substrate in a thin layer. Paint is commonly used to protect, alter the color of, or provide texture to objects. Conventional paint consists of a pigment, carrier, and a binder. Pigment, or tint, is the coloring agent that remains visible after paint cures. The carrier is the solution that the binder is suspended in, which keeps the binder in liquid form until it is applied to the substrate. Once applied and exposed to air, the carrier either evaporates or chemically bonds through oxidative cross-linking to the painted surface. The binder is the film-forming component of paint that imparts adhesion between the paint and the surface. The binder also influences such properties as gloss, durability, flexibility, and toughness. Binders are categorized according to the mechanisms for drying or curing, with the most common type being water based, otherwise known as latex paint. Latex paint binders are dispersed in the carrier in the form of small insoluble resin particles, thereby creating a colloidal suspension.
As can be appreciated, latex paint is often applied to a surface with a paintbrush. Brushes are available in two basic types, those made with natural bristles, and those with synthetic bristles. It is recommended that natural-bristle brushes not be used with latex paint, as the bristles will absorb the water from the paint, thereby rendering them difficult to work with. Synthetic-bristle brushes, however, can be used to apply latex paints to a substrate.
It is recommended to use a high quality brush when applying paint to a substrate, as less expensive brushes tend to leave bristle marks in the finished paint, and may deposit bristles into the paint that detach from the ferrule. Due to the expense of a quality brush, they are often cleansed of paint and not discarded after use. A common means of removing paint from brushes is with mineral spirits, which is a petroleum based organic solvent. Mineral spirits, however, have several known environmental and health hazards, including central nervous system depression resulting in lack of coordination and slowed reactions, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, or unconsciousness. It has been desirable to replace mineral spirits with a composition that poses less environmental and health hazards. Because of these concerns, many users attempt to clean latex paint from brushes with only running water. This practice, however, can be time consuming, taking anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, and requiring large quantities of water. Additionally, a significant amount of the paint is deposited into the sewage system, home septic system, or is placed into the ground where it can contaminate underground water supplies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Compositions have been disclosed in the prior art that are used to remove paint. These include compositions that have been patented and published in patent application publications. The following is a list of compositions deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, Ehrenkrona, U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,812 discloses a method of cleaning paint brushes from wet or dry paint or removing paint from painted surfaces. The '812 patent utilizes a lower alkyl ester of a fatty acid that is placed in contact with the brush or painted surface for a sufficient time to cause the paint to dissolve or to come loose from the brush or surface.
Jackson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,235 discloses a low toxicity paint remover composition containing C1 to C4 dialkyl esters of C1 to C6 aliphatic dibasic acid, an activator, a thickener, a surfactant and at least one other organic nonhalogen-containing solvent. The paint remover comprises at least 20% by weight of at least one C1 to C4 dialkyl ester of at least one C4 to C6 aliphatic dibasic acid.
Maxwell, U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,204 discloses a paint stripping composition that has a near-neutral pH. The composition includes a peroxide, water and an organic solvent. The solvents may include benzyl alcohol and/or cyclohexane dimethanol, and the peroxide may comprise hydrogen peroxide or urea peroxide.
Brocklehurst, U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,840 discloses an alkaline paint stripper composition that contains either a fibrous material or a combination of a xanthan gum and hectorite clay so as to provide a peelable skin over a painted surface. The composition is applied as a layer over a painted surface to be stripped, and forms a peelable skin thereover. The peelable skin has a tear strength sufficient for it to be separated from the underlying surface as an integral gel. Thus, the layer of composition develops a lateral strength which permits its removal as an intact skin.
Naasani, U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,900 discloses a composition useful in removing paint and similar protective coating from a substrate which comprises an aqueous dispersion of both dissolved and undissolved beta-naphthol. The aqueous dispersion may be either acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline, and in the latter instance may contain mildly alkaline materials such as sodium tetraborate, sodium metasilicate, disodium phosphate, and the like. The composition is particularly useful in removing alkyd and acrylic type paints from aluminum, as it effects rapid removal of these coatings without attack on the aluminum.